NEWS > ENTERTAINMENT > ACADEMY OFFICIALS CONSIDER REVOKING HELEN HUNT’S OSCAR

ACADEMY OFFICIALS CONSIDER REVOKING HELEN HUNT’S OSCAR

August 28 2009

Hollywood, CA – The Academy Awards have always been an industry award. The very first broadcasts were in fact financed by the major studios as a way to honour their own work as well and splash some glitz and glamour amongst the masses. As
the awards have evolved that connection to the studios has also changed and as the power of the studios declined so too has their dominance over who receives the award. With the rise of the independent film in the 1990’s the Oscar’s changed forever with the wealth being spread amongst virtually all classes of films.

That alteration in distribution hasn’t been without controversy as many deserving pictures and performances have gone shut out. With few exceptions the major awards still tend to gravitate towards traditional fare. Occasionally though well-intentioned presentations can become mistakes with many deserving
performances going without and many less than deserving seeing golden glory. Not ones to rest easy on their mistakes the Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is reportedly reassessing past awards and in some cases will likely be asking for mistaken presentations to be handed back, which will then be given to more deserving candidates. First on the Academy’s hit list is the award given to Helen Hunt as best actress in 1997’s ‘As Good as It Gets’.

“For a long time we just kind of lived with our mistakes. We realize the imbalance in certain areas and with certain people but because the awards are an accumulation of votes we don’t have a lot of power at the time. We don’t want to be seen perverting the will,” said an Academy insider. “There are some though that are particularly embarrassing, Helen Hunt chief among them. Aside from the fact that her performance wasn’t all that great in a movie that was less than spectacular, the simple fact of the matter is she has let the award rust. She has done nothing Oscar worthy since and really for the handful of movies she has appeared in; well let’s just say she isn’t representing the award the way we
would like. This just isn’t a happy situation and we want to set it right.”

Because of the lack of viable candidates during that year the Academy is considering not re-allocating that particular award though would still prefer Hunt to be stripped of the trophy.

“It’s an unusual move to be sure but it could add a little more credibility to the process and possibly make future voters think twice before casting the trendy vote. Of course the problem with 1997 was that it really lacked solid performances in the leading category. Pam Grier was excellent in ‘Jackie Brown’ and didn’t even receive
a nomination so they could look to give the award to her,” said Scrape TV Entertainment analyst Tracey Temple. “The touchstone for undeserved Oscars is of course Marisa Tomei. True her performance in ‘My Cousin Vinny’ wasn’t exactly Streep-like but she followed it up with a number of solid performances afterwards and was even nominated again for an Oscar 9 years later. Helen Hunt has been in very few movies and now 12 years on not an Oscar hope in sight.”

It’s unclear what legal power the Academy will have over performers in their effort to physically remove the statues but it’s likely they will at least change their records to reflect the changes.

“I mean ‘Cast Away’ was a good movie but she was barely in it and really that’s it. A few roles here in there but not only are they not Oscar-worthy they are downright irritating. The Academy Awards are one of the most
respected in the world and they really should make an effort to choose people who will represent them effectively, not just take the award and run,” continued Temple. “Most actors and actresses at least try. Hunt has just become scary looking and possessed by hammy acting so it’s only right that she loses the award. They should probably look at trimming down the number of candidates as well. They are few good roles for women and they don’t have to give it out every year, just when it’s deserved.”

Kim Basinger, F. Murray Abraham, and Cuba Gooding Jr. are all also amongst those being considered for revocation. Jennifer Hudson is considered an early favourite as well.     

Samantha Dryden, Entertainment Correspondent

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